Occult abdominal trauma is the number two cause of death in child physical abuse, especially in young infants.. Life threatening abdominal trauma may be missed due to a relatively benign appearance & a lack of abdominal findings on physical examination, This workshop is a review of abusive chest & abdominal trauma, as well as the appropriate medical screening for young suspected victims of abuse.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the appropriate medical work-up for a young child with potential abusive abdominal trauma.
Discuss the reason why occult abdominal trauma is the second most frequent killer in child abuse.
Describe the reason that the young child's anatomy predisposes them to multiple organ injury from abdominal blunt force trauma.
